SpaceX launches Starfall demo mission to test new reentry vehicle

LOS ANGELES, June 23 (Xinhua) -- U.S. space company SpaceX launched its Starfall Demo mission on Tuesday, marking the debut of a new uncrewed reentry vehicle aimed at enabling future commercial in-space manufacturing and rapid cargo delivery through space.

The mission lifted off aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida at 6:53 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time (1053 GMT).

SpaceX confirmed the deployment of Starfall into low-Earth orbit.

The mission includes a demonstration of a new vehicle that will enable affordable, routine access to the microgravity environment for scientific research and in-space manufacturing, according to SpaceX.

After demonstrating controlled flight, the spacecraft is expected to splash down in the Pacific Ocean.

According to filings with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, the mission aims to enable point-to-point delivery of critical cargo through space on rapid timelines, and create a self-sustaining commercial in-space manufacturing market by offering access to microgravity and vacuum, loiter on orbit, and safe return from orbit as a service at scale. Enditem